10.22.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 10:45 am by admin
Here’s another new product for the fall and holiday season. It comes courtesy of my Oklahoma soaper friend, Charlotte, at Laughing Rabbit Soap Co. Let me tell you that Charlotte is “Queen of Funny/Creative Thoughts,” and we often commiserate about various soapers’ blues topics … she keeps me going and maybe sometimes I do the same for her.
In a recent e-mail, Charlotte came up with this concept and most of the wording, all in jest. She said she was on her way to the LR soap studio to produce her mythical herbal elixir to cure all ills. She was kidding, but to me it sounded like a plan, so I hit my own soap studio and, voila, a new brew, not yet perfected, but the first phase is finished and in the tins.
Introducing Sweeter than Heaven Infused Herbal Elixir, Skin-softening, stress-relieving, miracle-working, youth-restoring, weight-reducing, money-making, handcrafted (by elves) herbal infused elixir for skin, lips, joints, aches & pains.
For this batch I made an infusion of calendula in olive oil and almond oil. I added shea butter and a few other ingredients including essential oils. It was a quick-and-fun inspiration, but Charlotte and I now have concocted plans to make it even better with additional herbs and essential oils. So watch for phase II, and look out world!
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09.07.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:26 am by admin
Just a note…I added Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare to Facebook today. Please become a fan if you’re interested. What I’ll try to do is let people know where I’ll be or new products when they are finished. Here’s the URL if you need it:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Annas-EsSCENTials-Bodycare/261607955466?ref=ts
Sharon
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08.18.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 12:09 pm by admin
This weekend I take our newest soap to market, “Moments of Happiness.”
And here it is … representing my fondest memories of my Thailand family including new granddaughter Eva, and of beautiful Thailand itelf … presenting my newest soap, “Moments of Happiness.”
It turned out to be a beautiful soap … a soft golden color with a lovely dark red/orange swirl, and the scent is (I hope) a good Asian one too. It is slightly “exotic” with a fresh, uplifting touch of lemongrass to finish. I wrapped it with gorgeous handmade mulberry paper brought back from the outdoor Thai market and a label of optimistic sunrise colors of the east.
The soap cntains a good amount of sesame oil, as well as shea butter and, of course, rich olive oil. And this week it makes its debut. Today I created a small sign announcing our newest soap, which gave me a chance to print a couple of my favorite Eva photos too (one on each side).
A new sign with a pretty little girl’s photo as a bonus
I hope this soap is loved even a tiny bit as much as what inspired it.
And, by the way, I got to spend another couple hours online (via Web cam) with little Eva this morning. I saw her turn over and sit up by herself for the first time! Also, she got her first two teeth last week and has learned in two days how to zip around the apartment in her car (or walker), crashing into furniture and shrieking with delight as she does so. One thing I can say for sure is that this child is loved.
Sharon
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06.30.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 11:43 am by admin
For a quiet, rural county in Kentucky, things have really been popping around here, both literally and figuratively.
First of all, Elk Creek Hunt Club was selected to host the U.S. Open of shooting sports, and over 1,200 shooters from all over the world tested their skills June 23-28. If that wasn’t enough excitement, many of those competitors brought family and friends with them, and a few were looking for other interesting things to do while they were here.
First Annual Sweet Owen Arts in the Park
Owen County organized several interesting events including a historical tour of the city and its homes along with a carriage ride and progressive tea that wound up at Friday’s farmers’ market.
A carriage tour through historic Owenton, complete with storytellers, ended at our farmers’ market and courthouse.
In addition, the Owen County Arts Council (including your friendly soapmaker) planned an all-day “Sweet Owen Arts in the Park” on Saturday, the first of what we hope are annual events. We invited local artists to set up and were pleased at the response from them. We had 32 artists including many potters, jewelrymakers, fine artists, photographers, a broom-maker, gourd artists, and many more. There was an all-day lineup of really great music, and plenty of good food too. We had exhibitions of old-time forging, spinning and printing. We also had exhibits of childrens’ art from the schools.
I have to say that planning for this event was daunting. There were so many details and of course not enough money to take care of everything the way we’d like. We ended up hand-lettering a number of signs, and using our labor to stretch funds. The event was sponsored by local businesses and organizations, but it still took plenty of old-fashioned elbow grease.
Ron DeVore brought his dulcimer along with fine art and entertained fairgoers near his booth.
Count It a Success
Crowds were moderate … there just aren’t that many people who live in Owen County, but we advertised in surrounding areas as well and that helped some. In addition, we did have some visitors from the Elk Creek U.S. Open. Festival-goers seemed to unanimously have a great time.
The event took place at the Owen County Fairgrounds, and some artists were inside a display building while others were set up in tents outside the building. It turned out to be a super-hot 90-plus degrees with sun beating down. I myself came away with a supreme sunburn and a promise not to leave home without sunscreen again. There were too many UV rays bouncing around inside my tent, and what was I thinking anyway?
This was my tent. Note that I’ve put Anna’s EsSCENTials Bodycare across the front of the tent. I also brought some of my hooked rugs to help decorate and draw attention.
Nevertheless, by 9 p.m. that night, as we emptied garbage cans and stored chairs and picnic tables, the arts council members felt it had been a success and a credit to the community. In a small community, it takes a lot of volunteers to get anything accomplished. The fine women I worked with on the arts council were some of the best and most resourceful you’d ever want to meet. Already we’re evaluating and planning for next year. That Sweet Owen Arts in the Park festival is planned for late May.
And on to “Moments of Happiness”
As for me, I’m glad for a break where I can begin to think soap again. I’m still mulling over my next anticipated creation which I’ve mentioned before, “Moments of Happiness” soap, inspired by my trip to Thailand and my beautiful new granddaughter, Eva Leilani. I have come up with a tentative essential oil combination for it and am about ready to begin tests. More reports on that to come.
Sharon
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04.28.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 12:37 pm by admin
It was a 28-hour flight but at this moment with little Eva, worth every minute.
I’ve just had the adventure of a lifetime and my mind is spinning with images of a sweet baby girl and the magic of Ali Babba fairytales.
I just returned from a trip to Thailand where I got to visit with granddaughter, little Eva Leilani, for the first time. She was exactly two months old when we arrived, just a slip of a thing, and it was magical to hold her in my arms. I’d just completed a 28-hour flight but one look at that pink mouth and long fingers and it was all well worth it. Her mama and daddy say she doesn’t sleep nearly enough and she needs a lot of attention. They are pretty much worn out. But on our taxi ride home, she could not have been more perfect. She never closed those eyes though, in spite of its being 1 a.m.
This is “Good Eva.” I didn’t get as many pictures of the baby her mama calls “Bad Eva.” Didn’t matter though…she is perfect!
I had nearly two weeks with them, and we’re in danger of my telling long and boring grandmother stories here. I’ll try to keep it to a minimum except to say Eva liked the mobile I took her after her daddy fixed it with more brightly-colored stuffed toys to watch. And she also liked the swinging chair we got. She watches Baby Einstein videos, and we have mixed feelings about that. Her very favorite thing is to be ensconsed on her “throne,” which means sitting in one of her daddy’s hands while he holds her upper body with the other one and pumps her up and down. It takes more biceps than I can muster, but her daddy has worn a path down the hallway outside their apartment where he walks her and swings her up and down until she literally falls over in his hands. She has an uncanny ability to tell when she’s headed toward bed though. We’re pretty sure things will be easier for this alert little girl when she can distinguish more of what she sees and can entertain herself better. For sure she’s the most beautiful baby ever.
This is the famous floating market.
Nid at a wonderful cultural show demonstrating how rice is tossed in a basket.
About Thailand…it is all you have heard and more. Fantastic architecture, glittering tiled buildings, enormous Buddhas, fantastic food from street vendors, great open markets where everything in the world is sold at very low prices, tourist attractions and destinations, incredible beaches, the amazing floating market, elephants and snake charmers…all this and much more. Most importantly I’d like to say something about the Thai people. This was the most gracious, warm and open people I’ve ever met. In spite of recent political unrest, which I never got a good sense of, I felt safe and cared for the entire trip. Partly that was due to little Eva’s mother, Khannita or Nid as she is nicknamed, who helped us negotiate in Thai. But it also is due to a culture which laughs a lot, plays some, and has not yet been caught up in the commercialism that has permeated ours.
One small part of the Grand Palace, an enormous walled city.
Me being utterly amazed at the detail and workmanship at the Grand Palace.
A very impressive elephant who turned out to be pretty friendly too.
Oh, and about soap…because of the heat and humidity, the type of soap I make which is very heavy on olive oil, is perhaps not the best. Olive oil attracts moisture all the time, and in a humid, tropical climate that can have drawbacks. I did see one soap vendor at the market but did not have a chance to talk to her given the language barrier. Her soap was wrapped in plastic. Ingredients looked good although I couldn’t get them all. The label did say they were all vegetable. Also, at the Grand Palace there was one booth with soaps that were brightly colored and molded in shapes. They were beautiul and I made a mistake not buying some to bring back.
Very fancy carved soaps for sale for 100 baht…about $3.50
The one thing I did buy to bring back was sheets of mulberry paper for special wrappers (not sure what yet), two sizes of bags made of mulberry paper, and some beautiful ribbon. There were a number of paper vendors at the open market. What a joy it was to shop there. I could have gone back again and again, just to see what was there.
Now I’m home and trying to outsmart jetlag (not doing well on that one!) and get caught up on work here. Markets have already begun and I’m the late arrival. But when I take those grandbaby pictures, I’ll get no argument from anybody.
Sharon
Eva loved her turtle and tried hard to stare it down.
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04.03.09
Posted in Uncategorized at 7:56 am by admin
One more little fun thing for spring. I’ve decided to do a lavender soap with shea butter and package it in honor of the many wonderful quilters in Kentucky. It will be called “Quilter’s Hands.” Personally, I am more of a rug hooker than a quilter, but there are obvious problems with using that as a name. Actually, this suggestion came from the good people at the Kentucky Arts Council. To come up with a label I searched for quilt patterns and especially loved the Seminole patterns which I used as inspiration.
Sharon
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02.23.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Everyday Journal at 3:23 pm by admin
Little Eva, only three days old. Isn’t she beautiful?
Sometimes the very best things happen, and this is one of them. Eva Leilani was born Feb. 11, and I want to celebrate this beautiful baby’s birth. She is my son’s baby, born half a world away in Thailand, but I was able to almost “be there” through the magic of technology. I cannot wait to see little Eva (pronounced A-VA) with my own eyes and hold her close. She came into the world after only two and a half hours of labor for her mother, and right away she was looking around and appearing very satisfied with what she saw. She gave my son a little smile as he got close with his video camera (honest!), and it seemed to me she was letting us know she is quite content with her mama and daddy and her world. But not half as much as we are with her!
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01.08.09
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal at 10:15 am by admin
Here’s one corner of a storage cabinet built originally for office supplies, I’m sure. But I inherited it with this studio office and it will forever smell great! Soap stock is depleted now, but not for long.
Happy 2009, everyone. From my perch above the town square, I am watching snow blowing horizontally across the windows. Up-and-down snow is one thing … side-to-side snow is quite another. After a weekend with temperatures in the 40’s and melting snow, it looks like we’re back to normal in Kentucky.
After some consideration, I’ve decided to ignore the dire economic forecasts for the time being and forge ahead with soap production. Anybody else making different plans? I have this year’s Kentucky Crafted trade show in Louisville Feb. 19-22. We’ll see if I can complete this one with my body in one piece. Last year’s show was done from a wheelchair and I’d rather not repeat that spectacle. Or hear one more person ask me if I’d slipped on a bar of soap on the way to the show. This is an expensive undertaking, and I try to break even and hope the coverage and prestige of being there will pay future dividends. This year I’ll be crossing my fingers AND my toes. No, that might lead me back to the wheelchair. Guess I’ll just take my chances.
I’ve started serious production already and just took delivery of another big oils order. One of the soaps I developed in the fall, Serenity, was such a hit that I have a new batch on the curing racks already. It was completely gone. (The entire batch of holiday soap also sold out … I’ll do that one again too!) I think I’ll let Serenity be my new soap for this spring, even though I introduced it in a trial run in the fall. Lavender Rose Clay will be the second new introduction. I always like to go to markets with something new in the spring, and it’s surprising to me how many people ask me what’s new.
To get ready for production, I’ve spent the last two days cleaning out the soap studio, especially the big cabinet where I store soap that has cured and is ready to go to market. I re-alphabetized everything, made new labels and moved it all around. Looks lots better! I rearranged everything to make places for the new soaps and I see that I’m now in trouble. I have only a few slots left, so this year I vow to cut out a slower-selling soap before experimenting with any new ones. That’s easier said than done.
And lastly, I mopped the floor. It’s amazing how “goopey” the floor of a soap studio gets…all little soap shavings mixed with a fine layer of oil I guess. So tomorrow, serious production begins!
Let’s hope for some warm breezes soon, soap addicts! We might as well look forward to the adventures of 2009.
Sharon
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11.18.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Blogroll, Everyday Journal, Farmers Markets at 9:26 am by admin
Sharon and I, with layers of sweaters, in our booth at The Autumn Drive Festival.
As I said last month, it’s festival season. In mid-October, I traveled to northern Illinois, just south of the Wisconsin border, for a big festival, a new one for me, called The Autumn Drive Festival. It’s north and west of Chicago, and my friends, Sharon and Steve, moved there last year. Sharon is an amazing artist…one of those people who can do just about anything, and right now her passion is carving and decorating gourds with lovely, intricate natural scenes. She has one “Fairy Garden” gourd that draws you in and has you searching for the tiny people and all their garden friends.
Anyway, we decided to do this show together, and it turned out to be an adventure, but great fun. The Autumn Drive Festival offers a couple miles of places to stop and explore, with hundreds of vendors. One of the delightful parts of doing festivals is that you never know for sure what you’ll find when you get there…and it’s always different from what you expected.
In this case, it was 80 degrees when I left Kentucky, about 60 when I hit Chicago, and 40 with a brutal wind when I got to the festival. I had left home wearing flip-flops, throwing in pants and a heavy sweatshirt because I do know Illinois fall weather. The next morning, when the show actually began, the temps had fallen again and misty rain was in the air. I had worn every piece of clothing in my travel bag, but that was no match for northern Illinois wind chills. We were headed for three 9-to-5 days of even colder weather, falling temperatures and bitter wind sweeping down across the great plains. Sigh. The life of a crafter.
Coming to my rescue was a wonderful booth near us called “Ginger Blossom” that sold hand-knitted sweaters made by a women’s cooperative in Nepal, big fuzzy socks and hats that pull down over your ears. Before the weekend was over, I became their new best friend!
Ups and Downs
As some crafters can tell you, it’s not uncommon to find little irritations growing to big irritations in situations like these. Nobody’s comfortable…not vendors, shoppers, kids or pets. The mood of everyone becomes tinged with unease, purse strings contract and you look for the nearest hot chocolate vendor, who does really well.
I was no exception. After driving so far and standing on frigid feet for three days, I was not exactly polite to the “gentleman” who wanted to know what was in my soaps (I was HAPPY to tell him because that’s what I’m proudest of), and after hearing about all the great ingredients, turned up his nose and made a rude comment. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t a soap shopper, just someone looking for an argument.
On the other hand, the weather problems also made for lots of fun conversations with people who were able to laugh at them. And what better time to talk about a skin-saving product when you’re standing in a 20 m.p.h. wind sucking all the moisture from your body. All I had to do was mention olive oil, and customers’ eyes would light up.
Setup Thoughts
I have to thank my friend, Sharon (Northwoods Art), for organizing and sharing this weekend with me, and her husband, Steve, for helping us with construction, corn stalk-gathering, take-down (always the hardest part), and encouragement. And I’d also like to mention that sharing a booth with an artist like this has definite advantages for a soaper. Sharon had gourds of all sizes and prices, some of them show-stoppers. Her art caught the eye of many people on the tour who stopped by look at it. This brought people into the booth who might not have stopped otherwise. And likewise, there were people looking for handcrafted bodycare products who found true art in our booth. In the end, I think we both thought the arrangement worked well.
Sharon’s side of the booth, with some of her exquisite gourd art.
We decorated the tent poles with corn stalks tied with wide, country-style ribbon, and had tables along three sides. Sharon had found some pretty dark orange felted fabric which worked as table coverings and drew the table setup together. The only thing I’d change was to have more signage for Sharon’s artwork, but overall I thought the effect was pretty much what we were going for.
A little of the soap display as well.
Upcoming Festivals
So, it’s on to the Thanksgiving and Christmas festivals. I have a new one this year in Frankfort, and a couple old-friend festivals that I look forward to every year. After the holidays, the task will be to get ready for the Kentucky Crafted trade show in February, and then there is a little time left to rest up before starting over again in the spring.
So let’s lift a toast to having survived this year and to new opportunities ahead. “Play it again, Sam,” and happy holidays, everyone!
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09.23.08
Posted in Uncategorized, Everyday Journal at 12:05 pm by admin
A new experimental soap
Today is a day for experimentation. At the recent Texas Soapmakers Conference, I came across a new essential oil and finally got some in the shop. It’s called Owyhee, or Peach Artemesia. It has a slight fruity fragrance, and I loved it in combination with Bulgarian Lavender.
I decided to combine it with the lovely rose clay I brought back from the conference, which gives a beautiful rose color to the soap while it adds lots of nice clay features.
It’s on the drying shelves now, just about ready to hit the street. My picky lavender-loving daughter said she likes it a lot, although the round piece she has reminds her of a slab of turkey lunchmeat. You gotta love your kids who tell you what they really think!
Sharon
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